Alamogordo commission tables request for up to $1.9 million in LITA aid for Extreme Amplitude

The Alamogordo City Commission on Nov. 5 tabled discussion of Ordinance 17‑19, which concerns Local Economic Development (LITA) assistance for Extreme Amplitude, after the gym's owner presented revised five‑year projections and commissioners requested more documentation.

City staff had recommended up to $475,000 in secured assistance for the expansion of Extreme Amplitude; the applicant asked the commission to approve $1,900,000. The commission moved to defer the item so members could review a presentation and updated financials the applicant emailed the morning of the meeting.

The legal framework for the commission’s decision was summarized on the record by City Attorney Daryl, who told the commission that the city must document a rational basis and identifiable public benefits when it awards LITA funds and that motions approving amounts above staff recommendations should specify measurable public benefits and enforceable conditions. "The decision to fund ultimately rests with the commission," the attorney said while outlining the anti‑donation limitations and recommended motion language.

Public commenters and several people associated with Extreme Amplitude described the gym as a community resource for children and military families. Janie McNeil, identified in the meeting as the outgoing kinder director at Extreme Amplitude, said the program "is so much more than just a gym," describing it as a community hub that helped her and other parents. Jordan Turner, a military spouse and parent, described the gym’s role in easing relocations for military families and urged the commission to "invest in stronger kids, families, and communities." Craig Johnson, who read a letter from Pastor Anthony Torres, urged the commission to ‘‘think about the children’’ when deciding how to allocate funds.

The applicant (identified in the record as the owner of Extreme Amplitude) outlined an expansion plan that she said would multiply current enrollment and create paid positions. In the meeting she summarized the request and the anticipated community impact and said she had personally invested $85,000 in the business. "I am asking that the city of Alamogordo partner with extreme amplitude to do what Lita was created to do and invest in our community, our kids, and our future," the applicant said.

During discussion, commissioners and staff pressed for clarity on financials, job‑creation timing and the metrics used to produce staff’s recommendation. Staff described deriving the $475,000 recommendation from the applicant’s job and revenue projections and from formulas used in prior LITA awards; staff also described auditing standards that would be applied if the commission approved an amount that exceeded staff calculations.

Several commissioners said they were sympathetic to the applicant’s community claims but wanted to base any award on verifiable figures. Commissioners questioned discrepancies that appeared between the applicant’s prior materials and the documents submitted the morning of the meeting — notably the applicant’s shift from a year‑one projection to five‑year projections and a change in the number and type of jobs (the applicant described a plan for 12 full‑time and 24 part‑time positions over five years). Craig Johnson clarified for the record that some figures presented by the applicant were monthly receipts (he said the applicant was projecting roughly $153,000 in monthly receipts under the expansion) while payroll projections were given on an annual basis.

No final appropriation or PPA was adopted. A motion to table consideration of Ordinance 17‑19 until the next meeting passed by recorded vote and the commission instructed staff to include the applicant’s revised presentation in the next agenda packet. Mayor Susan Paine said the applicant should provide any additional materials by the agenda deadline; staff indicated the applicant’s presentation would be added to the item and that the commission typically uses a five‑year PPA with an optional extension to seven years for enforcement flexibility.

The LITA program and any award would require a project participation agreement with measurable job‑creation, wage and reporting requirements. City Attorney Daryl advised that motions approving more than staff recommended funding should make specific on‑the‑record findings about the quantifiable public benefits being relied upon. The commission did not adopt such findings because the item was tabled.

The item will return to the commission at its next meeting; the mayor confirmed she will not be present at the Nov. 18 meeting and staff said a replacement representative would attend. The commission asked staff to publish the applicant’s revised materials in the agenda packet and to ensure commissioners have time to review before the next vote.